Scritches Day
by Sa'ash
Summary: There's no such thing at valentine's Day in Thundaria, but Scritches Day is just as wonderful. What does a certain Lion have in store for a certain Tiger?
1. Just for You

There's one day of the year when either you find the love of your life, or you become painfully aware of just how lonely you are. Besides that, this is the day when you show everyone in your life just how much you love them, or don't. On this day, people walk around and scritch the belly's of other people to show how much they love them, and if the feelings are mutual, the other person will scritch them back. Because of this, all of the males walk around without shirts on, and the females just wear a little cover over their breasts. This holiday was created a long time ago, before Thundaria even existed, and it's obviously called, Scritches day.

The past four Scritches days for me had been nothing but heartbreak after heartbreak, but this year, I'm hoping I will finally break that chain of sorrow. There is one person whom I dream about often, one person who always knows how to make me smile, and is always truthful with me. This muscular Tiger was in the same room as me in fact, eating breakfast across the table from me, probably thinking about who he wants to scritch today.

Four years ago, I had tried to leave him an anonymous card, and failed, he recognized my handwriting and thought I was playing a joke on him. Three years ago, I left him candy, but I had forgotten to shower first and he smelled my scent on the box, but thanked me for the snack. Two years ago, I tried to kiss him, but he thought I wanted to wrestle and threw me to the ground and pinned me. Last year, I tried to wrap myself up as a present and give myself to him, hoping he'd catch my hint this time, but I accidentally got the ribbon knotted around my hands and became stuck; fate would have it that the Tiger walked in on me and burst into laughter, telling me he hoped the girl was worth all the trouble.

Since last year didn't even have a chance to work, I decided to try it again, but with a twist. I really wanted Tygra, even if it wasn't Scritches day, I still did my best to drop him hints, like getting too close to him, or touching his shoulder or thigh gently, or even talking softly to him. He just thought I was a caring brother is all, and I was starting to wonder if throwing myself at him was the only way to make myself clear.

I knew that when he finished breakfast, he would go back to his room for a few minutes, then go for a walk. So I put the first clue on this scavenger hunt right in the middle of his floor, having to clean up his clothes strewn on the carpet so my card would be the only thing he saw. I had learned from my mistakes, and remembered to shower, and practiced fake handwriting styles all week. I was confident that he wouldn't catch on to me until the end, but then again, he had always found a way to catch me, so I guess that now I just hoped he didn't figure it out until the end.

The end of the scavenger hunt, I shivered with delight as I fantasized about how it would go, I was sure that this would work this year. In my card, I asked for him to bring his brother along to help him with the clues, so hopefully he wouldn't suspect me right off, thinking that someone had a surprise for both of us. As I watched him smile at me and say good morning, then go on to say that he was going to change and go for a walk, I could only nod through the haze of my fantasy, the concentration broken momentarily to both marvel at how absolutely gorgeous his shirtless body was, and the remark how fast he had eaten, I hadn't gotten here not six minutes ago.

As I watched him leave, I started like a lusty girl in her first heat, imagining that toned butt over me, pounding me into the bed, with a huge tool that most likely existed on the other side. My thoughts had grown more sexual in nature as time had gone on, and I knew that if I didn't get him to fall in love with me today, I might end up jumping him early. I had to wait though, this scavenger hunt should only take him thirty minutes, so I don't have to wait much longer, I just have to be anxious and nervous about the outcome.

My fingers started to drum on the table while I waited for the Tiger to return, replaying what I had written in the note over and over in my head:

Good morning my handsome Tiger. On this Scritches day, I have a very special scavenger hunt for you. When you've found all of the hint cards, take the first letter of the first word to find out my name.

PS: take your brother along, he might be helpful with some of the hints

Clue #1: Look left and right, then up and down, in this room, the first clue is found. Take ten steps back, and under the door, you'll find a hint, to what I'm looking for.

When I finally heard tapping feet on the floor, my eyes shot to the door that led to the hallway across the room. I felt like I was leaning in out of anticipation to see who was coming in, and cracked a grin when I saw Tygra looking puzzled with a bottle of oil in his hands. He must have figured out that the hint under the door had been a stain from when he spilled that same bottle a few months ago. He thought I didn't know he kept it, but since I'm the only one who helps him clean his room, Ive found quite a few things he doesn't think I know about.

What puzzled me, however, was that he didn't even try to hide the bottle from me. I thought he wouldn't want people to know that he had a bottle of very specific oil. I shrugged that concern off and asked him what he had in his hands, and he looked up at me curiously, then smiled slightly and started to laugh a little. He told me about the note, coming to sit next to me and setting the bottle between us.

I read the note when he handed it to me, and chuckled myself to make it seem like I had read it for the first time. I gave it back to him and asked what the bottle was for, and he told me that he thought it was the first item on the scavenger hunt. I nodded amusedly and asked him what the second clue was, to which he didn't know, whoever left the first didn't leave a second one.

Now that made me raise an eyebrow, there should have been a piece of paper underneath the bottle that had the second clue on it. Instinctively I grabbed the bottle and looked it over, wondering if it fell. I could smell the oil inside, but it seemed faint despite there being no cork on the top. I tipped the opaque bottle so I could look inside, and saw a roll of paper stuffed into the neck.

I cocked my head and pulled the slip out, unrolling it and seeing my own fake handwriting on the parchment. Tygra asked me if that was the second clue, and I read it to him:

Good work, you found the first clue, I'd suggest keeping this with you today, it might make things go a lot smoother.

Clue #2: In a few doors down, from your room at the end, you'll find a few instruments, that sate the lusts of men. There is a set in particular, that I'd have you retrieve, it's sturdy and tough, studded with chains, it wraps and confines, and spreads and ties, and when hooked to a person, makes their lust rocket sky high. Be careful on your quest though, my devilishly sexy knight, for a dragon guards this cache, so be as stealthy as night.

When I finished, I looked over to him, and asked him if he knew what it meant. He took a minute to think about it, then another minute, and then I asked if he wanted help, but he waved his hand playfully and said he wanted to figure it out. Maybe I wrote this clue too abstractedly, he was taking forever to figure it out. I started drumming my hand on the table out of impatience again, and that's when he finally got up and said he thought he knew what the clue meant.

I got up to follow him, and he held the door for me as I walked past him into the hall, waiting to see where he'd go. I smirked when he walked back toward his room, traversing two hallways until he stood at the end of the hall, looking from door to door, trying to find which one I meant. I had put the item in a very conspicuous spot, and I knew when he saw it he would know that was what I wanted.

He went to the wrong door first, looking into the bathroom and sniffing, I wonder why he did that. He did the same to the next room, and the next one. When he finally got to the room I had been in, he sniffed quickly, and perked up, walking inside and I could hear him rummaging around, hearing the clink of chains. I hope he hadn't known it was me, and he was looking for my scent to try and cheat the game.

He didn't look like he knew it was me yet, so maybe he was just looking for a more recent scent. I hoped that was the case, and when he poked his head around the corner, blushing a little, I had a feeling he didn't know it was me. He asked me to turn around so he could put this clue in his room, and I chuckled slightly, but complied and turned so he could run down the hall and throw his door open, making clinging sounds the whole time. He took a while in his room, I heard the clinking sounds still, but I couldn't figure out what he was doing, or why he would take so long doing it.

He came back a little bit later, but wouldn't let me see the clue. I tried to grab it from him, but he just held it out of my reach and said that he'd like to finish the scavenger hunt alone. Inside my head, I was smirking at what I had written on the card, and was just playing along:

For the third item, you have to lose your brother, do it by any means necessary, but try not to hurt his feelings:

Clue #3: On this lonely quest, the item to be retrieved, is the last you'll need for this scritches day reprieve. What you need is to release some stress, by any and all means, and I have just the idea in mind, but wait for me please…

He eventually asked me to go wait in his room until he got back, and then I could help him figure out the items were supposed to mean. I tried to look reluctant, and dragged my feet dejectedly on the carpet and flung his bedroom door open, plopping down on the bed. This last clue would probably take him the longest, so I looked around, seeing if there was anything to do while I waited for him. I hope he could figure out what I meant by the picture I included, but I pushed the worry out of my head, Tygra was the smartest guy I knew, he could get the hint. I couldn't find anything that peeked my interest, but I did notice that I couldn't find the bottle or bondage restraints anywhere. I looked all over for them, but it seemed like neither of them were here.

I sat back down on his bed, having made his room look similar to how I had found it in when I got here this morning. I sighed and laid down on the bed, reveling in how much more comfortable his mattress was than mine. I wonder what he did with those things, I know they were in here, I saw him walk in here with them in his hands. Well I didn't physically see him, but what else could he have done with them?

As I was thinking, I rolled over to put my head on the other pillow, reveling in the stronger scent I smelled over on this side. When my head hit the plush fabric though, I could hear a crinkling sound from underneath, along with something small and firm. I picked my head up and rubbed at my jaw where I struck the object underneath, and tossed the pillow aside curiously.

There was a card, inside a little envelope, and a little black felt box sitting on top of it. I cocked my head and grabbed the card, holding the box in one hand as I maneuvered the folded parchment out of the little white paper prison. There was, in fancy letters scribbled on the front of the tan paper, the name Liono. My heart started to beat in an erratic pace as I folded the front of the card back, and read the longest message I had ever seen fit into such a tiny space…

Sighing, I looked all around, but I couldn't figure out where this picture was taken at. I know that this was a statue of our father, but there's tens of statues of him strewn all across Thundaria. I had already checked most of the ones in the palace, and wondered if I would ever find this clue. Whoever made this quest must not have thought that there was more than one of these. Maybe if I knew who gave me the clues, I could figure out which statue they meant. I could already cross off Cheetara, I know she wouldn't make this for me after I told her I wasn't interested in her advances.

No, of course it wasn't Cheetara, she would be too smart to leave such a vague clue. If whoever made this wanted me to find the last item on this scavenger hunt, then they would either make it vague accidentally, or they made it vague to keep me busy.

I rifled through names of anyone who could have written this game for me, but no one I knew matched the handwriting. It didn't look like normal handwriting either, as I looked at it, the letters looked strained, and I could see bends in the letters, like the writer hadn't wanted to write this way. Fake writing, a clever tactic. Why would this person want to hide their style from me? I walked down the hall while I tried to process this new fact against what I already knew.

Someone who wanted me to relieve some stress, someone who was afraid I'd know them immediately from their handwriting, someone who has affection for me obviously. The list was long, these were vague descriptions of a lot of people. Except for the handwriting, everyone seemed to want him to destress recently. Who had told him to most recently though… Liono had. It was yesterday, and he seemed concerned that I was causing too much stress by throwing myself into political matters every other day. It's true it always put me in a down mood, but I never had a down mood with him… or did I?

Could it be Liono, let me think. He isn't the brightest, but he's still clever… He's not so good at being stealthy. Those two facts would explain the clues, I know his handwriting like the back of my hand, and he knows that, so he'd try to mask it, but writing so differently was most likely difficult, hence the odd bends of the letters.

He also knew about my oil bottle, and the stain on my floor. In fact, he's the only one I told, because he was the only one who asked about it. But that bottle, and the restraints, what did he have in mind for those? I bet he's trying to play another trick on me, like the previous Scrithces days. Part of me believed that, but another part was firmly set in the belief that he wouldn't go through all of this trouble just to pull one over on me.

Oh hey, if Liono was the one who took this picture, then I know exactly which statue this was. I dashed back to the end of one of the longer hallways where Father's room was and turned around the last bend and into the alcove. This statue was one of the newer ones, and Liono had taken a liking to this spot, not only because there was a bench that wound all the way around the statues base, but because there was a tall window behind the figure, so he could sit out of view, and watch the waterfall that sat behind the palace, carved into the face of the barrier mountains at the rear of the city.

There was nothing in plain view, of course he wouldn't be that careless, he would have put something… behind it. I had walked around as I thought that last line, and saw with wide eyes the items he had left for me. A Card, a weirdly wrapped present, a box of candy, and a little piece of paper with red lip marks on it.

I knew exactly what each of these gifts meant. I picked up the paper with the lips on it first and sniffed at it. I could smell the lipstick, but no scent from it. Next, I grabbed the box, and again smelled nothing on it, but opened it, and saw little heart-shaped pieces of chocolate inside. I smiled as I set the first two items down and went to unwrap the present. Once the paper was off, I chuckled at the stuffed Lion doll, knowing what he had alluded to. Finally, I opened the card, and read the words inside, remembering that I had written my own card for the other male…

Liono,

These past few years, I thought that you had been playing games with me, with my emotions. I want to believe that your emotions are real, I know mine are. The truth is that… well… I have loved you for a long time, longer than I would care to admit, but I kept waiting because I never knew the right words to express myself to you. Everything you sent me on Scritches day meant so much to me, and I regret that I never got you anything in return. This year however, I feel like I finally know what to say. I just hope, that the emotions I think you are trying to give to me, are real.

Liono, I Love You.

I can't believe this, after all this time, he really did love me. I couldn't keep the little tears from rolling down my cheeks as I folded the card back and set it on my lap, emptying my hands so I could wipe the streams away. I could feel the emotions he wanted to convey in the scent on the paper, he wrote this card, not only with a pen, but himself, every word etched onto the parchment with a matching smell, and a corresponding emotion. I couldn't help but think about what he would do when he read the card that I had left him, my final clue…

Congratulations, you've almost finished your quest.

Since you probably already have it figured out, I'll tell you who I am just because. I am Liono, and I put this surprise together for you, because I just never knew what else I could do to make myself clear. The last four years, I admit they disheartened me a little, and I felt like I wouldn't be able to make you understand what I was feeling, but this year, I want to make sure that you know just how much you mean to me. Every time you're by my side, helping me, I can't help but be thankful I have you in my life. Every time you eat across the table from me, I can't help wishing you were beside me instead, although I do enjoy being able to see your face. Every time you talk to me, comfort me, keep me company when I'm alone or bored, I always pray that I could find the courage to make those little moments happen all the time. Being with you makes me so happy, trying to put it into words would dishonor the majesty of the feelings. You mean so much to me Tygra, and I finally have the strength to tell you what Ive wanted to since four years ago. I Love You.

So it really was him, I felt my heart beat harder, and I thought I felt something wet scurry down my face, but I was too consumed in the words to care. He had put so much thought into this, I felt ashamed that my note was so short and frank. Liono isn't the best at politics, but now I know where his strengths lie. He's a lover, but I guess I wouldn't have figured that out if he hadn't told me in this letter. I never even gave him a chance, despite my own feelings.

The only question I had left was, what to do now. As I looked back down at the cache of presents, I noticed another piece of paper sitting just under the bench, and as if in response to my question, there was one last note:

I hope you enjoyed my little game, my love. Hurry back and claim your prize, I'm waiting for you, and only you.

I didn't need to be told twice. I gathered up the hoard of presents and dashed back to my room faster than I thought possible. Each hallway I turned into, each archway I went under, they all put me one section closer to the love I had been hiding for so long. There wasn't a reason to hide anymore, I had been childish, trying to pretend like my feelings didn't matter, that I was trying to help Liono find someone better. But to the Lion, all this time, I was the best thing he wished for, and I wasn't going to argue those emotions, not anymore.

I felt warmer now, having read the simplistic note left me feeling stronger, more confident about when Tygra would come back. I was smiling like a fool as the image of the Tiger swirled in my head, making me feel so light, yet so alive. I couldn't wait for him to hold me, to feel his arms wrapped caringly around me as we rocked in the dimming sunlight. I paused and remembered that I hadn't scritched anyone today, even though there were so many people I loved in my life. Part of me, in response to my thoughts, told me that I couldn't scritch anyone until I had scritched Tygra, the most important love in my life…

I only had two more hallways left, curse this palace for being so large. My legs burned as I entered into the penultimate corridor, smiling as I started to smell the powerful scent of Lion, puling closer, making me run faster. I was almost there, I turned into the final hall, eyes trained on the door that held the rest of my life…

I heard loud thumps on the carpet outside, and I perked up, the strong musk of sweating Tiger creeping under the door. I smiled wider and leapt off the bed, running to the door, hand on the knob to throw it open…

I had reached the door, my hand was on the handle, and I threw the door open, hearing a gasp from inside as I jumped into the room, and fell against another body, bringing us both to the floor…

He had completely taken me by surprise. Tygra had been closer than I thought, and crashed through the door as I opened it, slamming into me and bringing me down onto the carpet with his body over me. This hadn't been the position I had dreamed about for months, but it was close enough. I was groaning from the surprise and the sudden pain of being thrown to the floor, and Tygra was groaning as well, panting tiredly as he brought his head up to look at who he had run into.

He gasped and rolled himself off me, pulling himself up and into a crouch as he slid his arms under me, apologizing, asking me if I was ok, and picking me up and carrying me over to set down onto the bed. He asked me if I was sore anywhere, to which I could only stutter that I was fine, his hands running along my muscles, checking for injury. I wasn't sure if he was just playing with me, or really making sure I was alright, but either or both of those things were fine if he was doing them.

He left his hand resting on my ankle as I assured him I was alright, sitting up to watch him sit down on the bed near my feet. I could tell he was nervous, a bit of red creeping into his face, making mine do likewise. I had dreamed of this moment for so long, I knew he loved me, and he knows I love him now. But what is he going to do?

I couldn't think of what to do next. Everything was going better than I hoped; truthfully, I hadn't planned this far ahead. I thought he would reject me and run out, and I would spend Scritches day, along again. I think the silence was wearing on Liono; when I looked him in the eyes, I saw anticipation; I didn't mean to make him wait. I started to open my mouth to speak, hoping that something sweet and romantic came out. Liono never gave me the chance.

I felt a warm hand on my stomach, and looked down to see the light tan flesh. I looked back up curiously to try and find out what he was doing, but when I felt his nails lightly graze over my abs, I had all the answer I needed. I smiled at how simplistically perfect that was, and returned it. My own hand traced along the smooth stomach momentarily, euphorically stunned by the perfection that lied just underneath its fingers. I finally ran my own nails over the skin, and smiled as I heard a soft purr coming from the other males throat.

His hand, previously steady and gentle, became erratic as I scritched him. He had closed his eyes in pleasure, but now cracked them open to look at me. His turquoise eyes, like the ocean reflecting the moon, the captivated me, and I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life like this, with this one person.

I edged my body closer to Liono, hoping he would catch my hint, and accept my feelings. Part of me already knew he had, but I still had to have my doubts, he could still say no. He never did. He leaned in to meet me half way, and our mouths locked, he was open and ready for me, and I took his offer. My tongue had never tasted anything like this before. His mouth was like sweet ambrosia, it was drug-like, and I was quickly falling into an addiction.

Sparks were surging through me, I felt like the fireworks at the solstice festival, exploding into hundreds of colors, each little light joining the stars that lined the heavens. I had waited too long for this, all those years wasted, when I had everything I wanted right here in front of me. Three years of foolishly brushing off the emotions of this little Lion, almost losing him. If he wasn't so persistent, I doubt that I would have ever had this moment with him.

When we broke apart, after minutes that seemed like years, we were both painfully reminded that we had to breath. Through our rapid panting, we stared at each other, mouths cracked into grins, hearts beating together, souls forever entwined in each others.

I leaned in close and embraced him into a deep hug, holding him close, protectively. I would never lose him, I would never risk anything happening to him. He wrapped his own arms around my back as best he could, and I began to rock the both of us. I moved myself up to sit on the bed facing the window, holding Liono between my legs so we could both watch the sun rise up high into the sky, its fluorescent gaze watching us as we drifted into sleep. Liono first, followed by me not moments later.

I was smart enough to lay both of us down before I lost consciousness, the gentle form of my sleeping lover relaxing me well past any relaxed feelings I had before. He had a smile on his face, and on his breath, I could hear him whispering through his dreams.

"Tygra, will you stay with me?"

Although I wasn't sure whether he could hear me or not, I leaned down to his ear, kissed it, and whispered my response, and he sighed, his smile growing as the finally muscles in his body finally yielded, whether they did it to the soft voice of the dreamscape, or to my own voice, I would not know.

"Forever."


	2. Epilogue

I never knew that sleep could be so enjoyable when there was someone you loved to share it with. Nevertheless, all good things have to end sometimes, and I fought to the bitter end to ignore the piercing light that made war with my dreams. When I finally had to give in, I sat up and kept my eyes narrowed, an angry glare to the sun, hoping he would dim for a few more hours. No luck.

Our midafternoon nap felt like a full night's sleep, but even in the few hours we had passed out in, night had still not come, and the sun wasn't even halfway set yet. There was still time to enjoy our scritches day even more. I smiled at the possibilities, walking out of the room to find something for us to share, maybe something sweet. I didn't want to leave Liono alone for long, I wanted to spend so much time with him, I could barely contain my excitement at the thoughts of going back to the room.

There was a delicious looking cake sitting on the edge of the kitchen, and after some pleading, I finally got the Panther to cut a piece for me. I carried the cake back to the room quickly, yet steadily. Not only was I hungry, I wanted to share this with Liono as well.

My door was cracked, just like I had left it, and I silently edged it open and then closed it behind me, hoping that I didn't stir my love early. I thought about how best to wake him, but before I could do anything, he started to crinkle his nose, and crack his eyes open. The moment he saw me, he smiled, and the moment he saw the cake, he sprung up to sit on the bed, eyeing the white frosted delicacy hungrily. I chuckled and sat down next to him, skewering a piece with the fork and guiding it to his mouth. He wasn't in the waiting mood, however, and engulfed the end of the fork quickly, pulling the cake off and leaving the metal clean. He sighed in delight, and whimpered when I had my turn.

Every time I fed him his piece, he would always attack the fork and rip the food from it, then whimper again when I ate my own bite. I sighed, not liking how pitiful he was being, and just gave the rest of the cake to him. He smiled happily at me and took the plate and fork from me, downing the rest in record time and leaving me to watch him amusedly.

I told him that was really good cake, and he looked at me with a frown, apologizing, but saying he was really hungry. I asked him what he was hungry for, and he thought about it for a minute, drawing his eyebrows together and tensing up, finally saying that he was hungry for… Tiger. I laughed openly at his answer, and asked him where he expected me to find Tiger at.

He smirked, and crawled into my lap, laying on his back across my legs and giving me a devilish smile. His arm reached awkwardly underneath him to feel around between my legs, finally grabbing hold of my maleness, and making me freeze.

"It looks like you have enough for me right here."

I gulped in my nervousness, but knew that I wanted this too. I just hadn't expected him to be so open to do this so fast. I wouldn't complain, if this was what he wanted, then at least it something I knew how to do well. So with a smirk of my own, I lifted him off my lap, and started to undress him, reveling in the purr he gave me the entire time.


End file.
